26th March, 2014
After four years break, some of Nigeria’s hottest artistes are bursting with excitement about the return of Africa’s top music honours event, MTV Africa Music Awards, MAMA.
Afro pop star, 2Face Idibia, said he is so excited over the return of the awards.
“…MAMA brings a lot of excitement across the continent and I’m really looking forward to this next edition after four years,” said 2Face, who was MAMA 2010 Artiste of the Year.
Burna Boy also shared his delight on the awards. “So good that MAMA is back. You guys owe me so many awards because it’s been four years…Don’t play with me,” said the Yawa Dey hit maker.
Others who expressed excitement include Banky W, Flavour and Davido.
MTV Base, VIMN Africa’s flagship channel, announced on Friday 21 March that the awards show and music celebration will hold at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban, South Africa on Saturday, 7 June.
It is open to all artistes whose music videos have been accepted for airplay on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) or MTV (DStv Channel 130) during the qualifying period 20 March 2013 to 19 March 2014. It will also celebrate musicians and achievers who have made the most impact on African youth culture throughout the year.
First staged in 2008, this year’s edition will feature performances by Nigerian artistes alongside other African and international artistes. The awards will also include signature collaborations between artists of different genres and cultures, which will be the high point of every show.
Artistes will be recognised in 13 different award categories including Best Male, Best Female and Best New Act. This year, three new “lifestyle” awards will be added to the music categories, including the “MAMA Leadership Award” and “Personality of the Year”. A special award, “Transform Today by Absolut” will celebrate the power of young individuals to transform the image of Africa through their creativity and vision.
The awards will be preceded by three “Road to MAMA” events in Durban, South Africa, Lagos, Nigeria and Nairobi, Kenya, building up to the main show, featuring MAMA nominees alongside the most current local artists and DJs. The events will take place during April and May 2014.
MAMA 2014 is sponsored by South Africa’s leading Tourist destination, KwaZulu-Natal Province and supported by Absolut.